Feed water heater for locomotives



Feb. 18, 1936.

M. W. DOLE FEED WATER HEATER FOR LOCOMOTIVES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1935 lnvenTor.

-- Q g qm e um 3 2 mm 3 ow mm 9 m v Q Q 2 Q; #182 Myron W. Dole Ma i An sf byW Feb. 18, 1936. M w E 2,03l,468

FEED WATER HEATER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Fb. 19, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Fig.2.

lnvenTor.

Myron W. Do\e b z zwa MapW ATTys.

Feb. 18, 1936. H w DOLE 2,031,468

WATER HEATER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Feb. 19, 1935 5 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.8.

f \s L 28 L \T/ ;2 Q R 5 34 I 5 5 as" 2 5 g as .\i ii i I; I, 78

N I A7 36 L {2,7

1 3 \nvenTor. 6 Myron W. Do\e byM ifmmif Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

This invention relates to feed water heaters for locomotives of the type in which the locomotive tender is provided with a plurality of water compartments, one of which is a feed water heating compartment and another of which is a main water compartment, and the heating of the water in the heating compartment is accomplished by the exhaust steam from the locomotive and/or from the auxiliary devices such as the air pump, headlight generator, feed pump, stoker engine, booster engine, etc.

A locomotive feed water heater of this general type is disclosed in Patent No. 1,900,697, March 7, 1933, granted jointly to myself and Mortimer Silverman.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide improvements in feed water heaters of the above-mentioned type which result in a rapid heating of the water in the heating compartment by concentrating all of the exhaust steam, and thus all the heat that is available for feed water heating, in the heating compartment until the water in said compartment is as near exhaust steam temperature as possible and, therefore,

the result that further delivery of steam to said compartment will build up a pressure therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide improvements by which as soon as a pressure 3 builds up in the feed water heating compartment the delivery of exhaust steam to said compartment will be cut-off and the exhaust steam will be diverted from said heating compartment to one of the other compartments.

.3 A further object of the invention is to provide novel means by which this diversion of steam,

from the feed water heating compartment to one of the other compartments is accomplished by means responsive to a pressure increase in the feed water heating compartment with the result that such diversion of steam occurs automatically whenever the pressure builds up in the feed water heating compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide A 3 novel means by which the steam for heating feed 55' returned to the teed water heatingcompartment in a condition to condense no more steam with.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means in addition to the gravitational flow for feeding water from the main water compartment to the feed water heating compartment, and also for maintaining in said feed water heating compartment a substantially uniform water level regardless of the water level in the main water compartment.

Further objects of the invention are to provide other improvements in feed water heaters for 10- comotives which will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the appended claims.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, although it will be understood that various changes in the design of the feed water heater may be made without in any Way departing from the invention.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a locomotive tender equipped with my improved feed water heater.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with a part shown in section on the line 2--2. I

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4-4 Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view of the control 45, a part being shown in section.

In the drawings, I indicates a portion of a locomotive and 2 the tender thereof. This tender is provided with the usual transverse horizontal partition 3 which forms the floor of the coal compartment 4 and the front end 5 of which constitutes the usual shoveling plate. The space beneath the partition 3 constitutes the space for the storage of water, and this space is divided by vertical transverse partitions into a plurality of compartments, one of which is a main water compartment and another of which is a feed water heating compartment. In the construction herein illustrated there are three such transverse partitions 6, l and 8 which divide the water space o the tender into the main water compartment 9, the feed water heating compartment l9 and two auxiliary or storage compartments H and E2. The number of storage compartments between the main compartment 9 and the heating compartment It] may be varied, however, without departing from the invention. The compartments H], II and i2 extend underneath the floor of the coal compartment and in the construction shown they also extend along one side of said compartment to a point somewhat above the floor 3, and for this purpose the tender is made with the vertical wall l3 forming the inner wall of the upper portion of these compartments and with the plate [4 forming the top of said compartments.

The compartments have communication at their lower portions through ports which permit gravitational flow from the main compartment 9 through the intermediate or storage compartments into the feed water heating compartment it, such ports being normally controlled by flap or non-return valves l5. The feed water heating compartment It also has communication with the storage compartment II at its upper end by a restricted port It, the compartment l I has communication at its upper end with the 00 npartment l2 through another restricted port ll and the compartment .1 2 has communication with the main water compartment 9 through the pipe connection l8.

l9 indicates an exhaust steam supply pipe adapted "to receive exhaust steam from the locomotive cylinders and deliver it to the feed water heating compartment ID for the purpose of heating the water therein. 26 indicates another exhaust steam supply pipe adapted to receive the exhaust from the auxiliary devices such as the generator, the feed pump, the booster engine, air pump, etc., and to deliver said steam also to the feed water heating compartment in for the purpose of heating water therein. 2! is the discharge connection of the feed water heating chamber through which the feed water is taken for delivery to the locomotive boiler and 22 is the discharge connection from the main water compartment 9 leading to the usual injector by which water may be fed to the boiler directly from the said compartment 9 if for any reason it is not desirable or possible to supply the boiler from the heating compartment It]. Each of the pipes l9 and 29 is constructed to form a loop which is as high as conditions will permit, said loops being indicated at 23 and 13 respectively. Each of these pipes may be equipped with an oil separator, vacuum breaker, etc. as described in the above-men- I tioned patent.

One feature of the present invention relates to a construction whereby all the steam which is delivered through either or both of the supply pipes I9, will be used in the feed water heating compartment for heating the water therein until the temperature of the water is raised to substantially the temperature of the exhaust steam and hence to a temperature at which the water will not further condense the steam delivered thereto. This results in a quick and rapid heating of the water in the feed water heating compartment i 0.

As soon as the water in the feed water heating compartment it has been raised to substantially the temperature of the exhaust steam then any further delivery of exhaust steam to the compartment i8 will result in building up a pressure therein, and another feature of my invention relates to a novel means responsive to an increase in pressure in the compartment It to divert the exhaust steam from said feed water heating compartment into one of the other compartments, preferably the storage compartment 1 I.

The heating of the water in the feed water heating compartment by steam delivered through the supply pipe I 9 is accomplished by introducing the steam into the water in any suitable way, such as through a perforated pipe 24 having a closed end and extending transversely of the compartment I Q, and the heating of the water by the steam delivered to the pipe 20 is accomplished by introducing the steam into the water in any appropriate way such as through similar perforated pipe 25 also extending transversely of the compartment Id. The perforated pipe 24 is connected to the pipe is through a vertically-extending pipe connection 23 and the perforated pipe 25 is connected to the pipe 20 through a vertically-extending pipe connection 2?. The communication between the pipes IG and 26 is through the medium of a control device located above the water level in the compartment I8 and so constructed that normally there is open communication between said pipes l9 and 2G with the result that all the steam delivered from the pipe [9 will pass into the pipe 26 and thus to the per forated pipe 24 and will be used in heating the water in the feed water heating compartment is. The control device is further so constructed that if the pressure in the compartment H1 rises the communication between the pipes 19 and 26 will be closed automatically and the pipe 19 will be brought into communication with a pipe connec tion 28 leading into the compartment II so that the exhaust steam from the pipe l9 will be diverted from the compartment l0 into the compartment 1 l and will operate to heat the water therein. A control device operating this way is shown in enlarged section in Fig. 4, and it comprises a valve casing 29 having an inlet passage 30 which communicates with the pipe 9 and also having a discharge port 3i communicating with the pipe 26 and a second discharge port 32 communicating with the pipe 28. The discharge ports 3|, 32 are controlled by a differential piston comprising the two piston members 33 and 34 which are connected by the piston rod 35, the piston 33 operating in a cylinder 36 and the piston 24 operating in a cylinder 3?. The piston 33 is slightly larger than the piston 34 and the outer end of the cylinder portion 36 is open to the compartment IQ as shown at 3B and is, therefore, subject to the pressure in said compartment. The right-hand end of the cylinder 37 is vented to the atmosphere through the pipe 79.

With this construction the pressure of the exhaust steam delivered through the inlet 30 will force the difierential piston to the left or into the full line position Fig. 4 due to the fact that the piston 33 is slightly larger than the piston 34. With the differential piston valve in this position the discharge port 32 is closed and the discharge port 3| is open so that all the steam delivered through the pipe 19 will pass into the pipes 26, 24 and the heat of the exhaust steam will thus be used for heating the water in the feed water heating compartment l0. When the temperature of the water in said compartment has risen to substantially the temperature of the exhaust steam, there will be no further condensation of steam in the water and a steam pressure will begin to be built up in the compartment It]. When this pressure reaches a predetermined point which is determined by the relative size of the pistons 33, 34, the pressure against the leftsteam may accumulate therein.

hand face of the piston 33 will overcome the differential pressure on the pistons Within the valve casing with the result that the differential piston valve will be shifted to the right or into the dotted line position Fig. 4. When in this position the differential piston closes the discharge port 3| thus cutting off the delivery of further steam to the compartment l and opens the discharge port 32, thereby diverting the steam through the pipe connection 28 into the storage compartment The storage compartment H is provided with a heat exchanger in the form of a perforated pipe 40 similar to the pipe 24 and through which steam is delivered to the water in the compartment II when it is thus diverted from the compartment It. A control device 4| similar to the control device 39 is located in the compartment above the maximum water level therein and operates to control the communication between the pipe connection 28 and the heat exchanger pipe 46. This control 4| has one discharge port communicating with the pipe connection 42 leading to the pipe 40 and another discharge port communicating with the pipe connection 43 that leads into the compartment l2. The compartment 2 may also be provided with a heat exchanger in the form of a perforated pipe 44, and another control device 45 similar to that shown in Fig. 4 is illustrated as controlling communication between the pipe connection 43 and a pipe connection 46 leading to the perforated pipe 44. The control 45 has only a single discharge pcrt communicating with the pipe connection 45 the other discharge port corresponding to the discharge port 32 in Fig. 4 being closed by a closure plate 41. With this connection, therefore, the delivery of exhaust steam from the pipe l9 will be terminated whenever the pressure in the compartment |2 has been built up to a point sufficient to cause the control 45 to close communication between the pipe connection 43 and the pipe connection 46. When this condition obtains then the exhaust steam from the cylinders will be delivered from the smoke stack instead of through the pipe I9.

The vent port It allows any air in the water heating compartment Hi to escape as the steam begins to accumulate and the restricted vent port ll similarly allows the escape of air from the intermediate compartment I! as the steam begins to accumulate therein.

The pipe connection l8 permits the escape of air from the compartment l2 at such time as It will be understood that so far as the delivery of exhaust steam from the auxiliary devices through the supply pipe 23 isconcerned, the pipe connection 13 is always in communication with the pipe connection 50 and hence the exhaust steam from the auxiliary devices will at all times be delivered into some one of the compartments. In case the auxiliary devices are running while the locomotive is at rest the continual delivery of the exhaust steam through the pipe 29 may heat the water in the compartments I0, H and i2 up to substantially the temperature of the exhaust steam, and under these circumstances the exhaust steam which is being continually supplied to the compartment i2 will be delivered through the pipe connection l8 into the main water compartment 9.

Another control 48 similar to that shown in Fig. 4 is employed in the feed water heating compartment II! for controlling communication between the supply pipe 20 and the pipe connection 21, and one of the discharge ports of this control device 48 is connected through a pipe connection 49 to the inlet of another similar control 50 located in the upper end of the compartment One of the discharge ports of the control communicates with the pipe 5| leading to a perforated pipe 52 in the lower end of the compartment I and the other discharge port of the control 50 communicates with a pipe '53 in the compartment |2 which leads to a heat exchanger or perforated pipe 54.

I have already described the operation of the control 39 in diverting the steam from the supply pipe l9 into the storage compartment whenever the water in the feed water compartment IQ has been heated to a point where a steam pressure begins to build up in said compartment. The delivery of steam through the pipe connection 28 to the control 4| will shift the differential pistons in said control 4| into a position to establish communication between the pipe 28 and the pipe 42 and to cut off communication between the pipe 28 and the pipe connection 43. Consequently all the steam from the supply pipe I9 will, under these circumstances, be delivered to the compartment l! and will function to heat the water therein. If the water in compartment reaches such a temperature that no further steam can be condensed therein and a pressure builds up in said compartment, then the control 4| will operate as above-described to cut off communication between the pipe connections 23 and the pipe 42 and open communication between said pipe 28 and the pipe connection 43 with a result that all the exhaust steam from the pipe l9 will be delivered to the compartment ii. If the pressure in the feed water heating compartment It falls below a predetermined amount then the differential pressure on the pistons 33, 34 will again shift said pistons to the full line position, thereby again establishing communication between the pipe l9 and the pipe connection 23 and sealing communication between the pipe I9 and pipe connection 28, so that exhaust steam will again be delivered to the feed water heating compartment II]. This same reduction of pressure in the compartment II] will also cause the control 48 to function similarly.

From the above it will be understood that with the construction above described all the exhaust steam which is delivered through either the pipe IE or pipe will in the first instance be directed into the water heating compartment Ill and will be utilized for heating the water therein, and when the water in said compartment reaches substantially the temperature of the exhaust steam and pressure builds up to a predetermined point in said compartment then the controls 39, 48 will operate to divert the exhaust steam into compartment H where it is utilized for heating the Water therein.

It will also be understood that as soon as the pressure in compartment it] is reduced below said predetermined point the controls 39, 48 will operate automatically to again direct all of the exhaust steam into said compartment and cut off the exhaust steam from the compartment 1 In case the temperature of the water in compartment H is raised to substantially that of the exhaust steam then the controls will operate to dive-rt all of the steam into the next compartment for'heating the water therein. Hence, with this invention all of the exhaust steam will be utilized for heating the feed water with the result that the feed water in the compartment Hi can not only be heated quickly but under normal conditions will be maintained at a temperature in the vicinity of exhaust steam.

Since in the operation of the device there is likely to be pressure developed in the compartment l0 sufficient to interfere with the gravitational flow of the Water into said compartment, I have provided herein novel means for maintaining a substantially uniform water level in said feed water heating compartment I0 independently of the gravitational flow of water. For this purpose I propose to employ an ejector, pump or other device capable of supplying water to the compartment in against the pressure therein from one of the other compartments. In the preferred embodiment of the invention I have shown an ejector located in the main compartment 9 and which is operated by steam taken from the supply pipe [9 through a pipe connection 56. The suction end of the ejector has a suction pipe 5? connected thereto leading to a point near the bottom of the compartment in which it is located. The delivery end of the ejector 55 is connected to a delivery pipe 53 that leads into the feed water heating compartment It. The pipe 55 is provided with a float valve 59 which is operated by a float 89, the construction being such that when the water in the compartment I0 is at the level indicated at 6| the valve 59 will be closed. As the water level falls due to delivery of water from the feed water heating compartment [9 to the locomotive boiler, the float valve 59 will open thus supplying steam to the ejector 55 and the latter will function to de liver water from one of the other compartments into the feed water heating compartment 10. 62 indicates a shutoff valve in the pipe 55 which controls the admission of steam thereto and 63 is a check valve in the delivery pipe connection 58. The float valve 59 is in a pipe connection separate from that which delivers the exhaust steam into the feed water heating compartment l0 and hence the opening and closing of the valve 59 due to variations in water level in the feed water heating compartment ID has no effect on the delivery of exhaust steam into the heat exchanger 24.

There is thus provided means independent from the gravitational flow of water from one compartment to another for maintaining the water level in the feed water heating compartment [0 at a predetermined point, which means functions without interfering with the delivery of exhaust steam to the feed water heating chamber. An advantage derived from the use of the ejector for maintaining the desired water level in the feed water heating compartment I0 is that the operation of the ejector by the exhaust steam does not involve any loss of heat because the steam which is used for actuating the ejector is condensed in the water and thus the heat of the steam is utilized for heating the water. The water which is thus delivered to the feed water heating compartment by the ejector has been heated to a considerable degree by the heat of the steam used in operating the ejector.

I claim:

1. In a feed water heater for locomotives, the combination with a locomotive tender having a main water compartment, a feed water heating compartment provided with a feed water outlet and an intermediate compartment, said compartments communicating with each other below the normal water level thereof, of an exhaust steam supply pipe and means responsive to pressure changes in the feed water heating compartment to establish communication between the steam supply pipe and the feed water heating compartment when the steam pressure in said latter compartment is below a predetermined point and between said supply pipe and the intermediate compartment when the steam pressure in the feed water heating compartment is above said predetermined point.

2. In a feed water heater for locomotives, the combination with a locomotive tender having a plurality of communicating water compartments connected for gravitational flow from one compartment to the other, one of which compartments is a feed water heating compartment having a feed water outlet, of an exhaust steam supply pipe, and means responsive directly to pressure changes in the feed water heating compartment to establish communication between said steam pipe and said feed water heating compartment when the pressure in the feed water heating compartment is below a predetermined point, and to close said communication when the pressure in said feed water heating compartment is above said predetermined point.

3. In a feed water heater for locomotives, the combination with a locomotive tender having a plurality of communicating water compartments connected for gravitational flow from one compartment to another, one of which compartments is a feed water heating compartment having a feed water outlet, of an exhaust steam supply pipe and means responsive to pressure ments communicating with each other below i the normal water level thereof, an exhaust steam supply pipe, means responsive to the relative steam pressures in the steam supply pipe and in the feed water heating compartment to establish communication between said supply pipe w and said feed water heating compartment when the pressure difference in the supply pipe and said feed water compartment is above a predetermined amount and to establish communication between said steam supply pipe and the intermediate compartment when said pressure difference is below said predetermined amount.

5. A feed water heater for locomotives comprising a locomotive tender having a main water compartment, a feed water heating compartment provided with an outlet, and an intermediate compartment, said compartments communicating with each other below the normal water level thereof, an exhaust steam supply pipe, means responsive to the relative steam pressures in the steam supply pipe and in the feed water heating compartment to establish communication between said supply pipe and said feed water heating compartment when the pressure difference in the supply pipe and said feed water heating'compartment is above a predetermined amount and to establish communication between said steam supply pipe and the intermediate compartment when said pressure difference is below said predetermined amount, and means other than said communication between the compartments for feeding water to the feed water heating compartment from another compartment.

6. A feed water heater for locomotives comprising a locomotive tender having a main water compartment, a feed water heating compartment having on outlet, and an intermediate compartment, said compartments communicating with each other below the normal water level thereof, an exhaust steam supply pipe, means responsive to the relative steam pressures in the steam supply pipe and in the feed water heating compartment to establish communication between said supply pipe and said feed water heating compartment when the pressure difference in said supply pipe and said feed water compartment is above a predetermined amount and to establish communication between said steam supply pipe and the intermediate compartment when said pressure difference is below said predetermined amount, and means other than said communication between the compartments for feeding water to the feed water heating compartment from another compartment and for maintaining a substantially constant water level in the feed water heating compartment.

7. A feed water heater for locomotives comprising a locomotive tender having a main water compartment, a feed water heating compartment provided with an outlet, and an intermediate compartment, said compartments being connected for gravitational flow from the main compartment to the intermediate compartment and from the latter to the feed water heating compartment, an exhaust steam supply pipe, means normally connecting said supply pipe to the feed water heating compartment, said means including a valve device responsive to pressure changes in the feed water heating compartment to connect said supply pipe to the intermediate compartment when the pressure in the feed water heating compartment rises above a predetermined point.

- 8. A feed water heater for locomotives comprising a locomotive tender having a main water compartment, a feed water heating compartment provided with a feed water outlet, and an inter mediate compartment, said compartments being connected for gravitational flow from the main compartment to the intermediate compartment and from the latter to the feed water heating compartment, an exhaust steam supply pipe, a valve device responsive to pressure changes in the feed water heating compartment to connect said steam supply pipe to the feed water heating compartment when the pressure in said latter compartment is below a predetermined point and to connect said steam supply pipe to the intermediate compartment when the pressure in the feed water heating compartment is above said predetermined point, and means other than the gravitational flow to feed water to the feed water heating compartment from another compartment and to maintain a substantially constant water level in said feed water heating compartment.

9. In a feed water heater for locomotives, the combination with a locomotive tender having a plurality of communicating water compartments arranged in series for gravitational flow from one compartment to another, the first compartment of the series having a feed water outlet, and means for delivering exhaust steam to said first compartment and sequentially to the other compartments for heating the water therein, said means comprising a control device in each compartment responsive to an increase of pressure therein to divert the steam from said first compartment to the next compartment in the series.

16. In a feed water heater for locomotives, the combination with a locomotive tender having a plurality of communicating water compartments arranged in series, of means for delivering exhaust steam to the first compartment of the series to heat the water therein, said compartment having a feed water outlet, a control device in each compartment which is responsive to an increase of pressure therein to divert the steam therefrom to the next compartment in the series when the pressure in said first compartment rises above a predetermined point.

11. In a feed water heater for locomotives, the combination with a locomotive tender having a plurality of communicating water compartments arranged in series, of means for delivering exhaust steam to the first compartment of the series to heat the water therein, said compartmen having a feed Water outlet, a control device in each compartment which is responsive to an increase of pressure therein to divert the steam therefrom to the next compartment in the series when the pressure in said first compartment rises above a predetermined point, the control device in the first compartment operating to again deliver exhaust steam to said compartment when the pressure therein falls below said predetermined point.

12. In a feed water heater for locomotives, the combination with a locomotive tender having a plurality of communicating water compartments arranged in series for gravitational fiow from one compartment to another, the first of which compartments is a feed water heating compartment having a feed water outlet, of an exhaust steam delivery pipe for delivering exhaust steam from the cylinders of the locomotive to said feed water heating compartment, a second exhaust steam delivery pipe for delivering exhaust steam from auxiliary devices to said feed water heating compartment, a control device for each exhaust steam supply pipe, each control device being responsive to pressure changes in the feed water heating compartment to connect the corresponding exhaust steam supply pipe to the feed water heating compartment when the pressure in the latter compartment is below a predetermined point and to connect said pipe to the next compartment in the series when the pressure in the feed water heating compartment rises above said predetermined point.

13. In a feed water heater for locomotives, the combination with a locomotive tender having a plurality of communicating compartments arranged in series, the first of which compartments is a feed water heating compartment having a feed water outlet, of means for delivering exhaust steam to the feed water heating compartment to heat the water therein and sequentially to the other compartments, said means comprising .a control device in each compartment which is responsive to an increase of pressure therein' to cut off the supply of exhaust steam thereto, the control device in each of said compartments therein when the pressure in said compartment is below a predetermined point and to cut off the delivery of steam when said pressure rises above said predetermined point, an ejector for feeding water to the feed water heating compartment from one of the other compartments, a pipe connection for supplying steam to said ejector, and means responsive to'changes of water level in the feed water heating compartment to control the flow of steam through said pipe connection. 10

MYRON W. DOLE. 

